Onward to Bloemfontein, South Africa

From Cape Town I moved onward to Bloemfontein in the Free State where I met another wonderful group of talented calligraphers.  Everyone could speak English of course but their first language was Afrikaans. I enjoyed listening to the classroom banter even though I had no understanding whatsoever of what they were saying. I am enjoying trialing SA cuisine in particular melktert and bobotie. Many thanks go to my host family Willemien, Franna, Dian & Mika Kruger for their hospitality and warm welcome.

The subject for our three day workshop was

"watercolour cut-back technique using Trajan letters".  

Please enjoy these wonderful outcomes.

"grounds & writing"

Enjoy some of the pieces from the Cape Town "grounds & writing" workshop over the three-day weekend. Bravo to everyone concerned.

Cape Town: a glimpse

It is an amazing feeling when you see for the first time a place that you have only heard about for most of you life. I had that sensation when I saw Table Mountain and Lion's Head here in Cape Town just a couple of days ago.  Thanks to the kindness of my lovely hosts Bev and Colin Gillespie, I have been able to enjoy this town in ways I never imagined. 

Here are a couple of photos for you to enjoy taken from Signal Hill. The light here is very atmospheric, just like Tasmanian light, rarely seen elsewhere.

Lion's Head

 Cape Town through the trees

Table Mountain from Signal Hill

It's time!

It is time for me to retire from teaching. More and more I am enjoying my time in the studio, time with my gorgeous family and time of course, with David (aka the Oboe Player). At aged 62 and with a twenty year international teaching period behind me it is time for me to concentrate on my own creativity, write all those articles I have been wanting to for many years and present some bodies of work of my own. These feelings have been bubbling since I undertook the residency at la Scuola Internazionale de Grafica in Venezia where I found pure joy indulging myself in studio work on a daily basis. Admittedly the sights and sounds of la Serenissima helped. I do however enjoy the goings on up and around the River Derwent.

I would like to contribute much more to the local arts and crafts community and I can't do that while prepping for lessons, travelling and teaching. I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit places I normally wouldn't. I have spent such wonderful times with people from all around the world, many of whom I now call friends. Their warmth and hospitality has helped make the long trips worthwhile.

One of the things I feel deeply about is fine calligraphic work demonstrating depth of spirit, knowledge and technique. I feel I have given much to help others understand and learn the true history & character of letters, the making of letters & marks and their educated placement. It is now time for me to put the teaching desires away. Finally I shall be able to deliver on all those promises I have made to myself to create and do for others. I want to kick around in Australia a lot more, get deeper in to our own lettering and arts scene and study early indigenous carvings and paintings as a way of communication.

Excitedly I will meet all my teaching commitments for 2020 - Germany, Slovenia, the UK & US - and come 2021 I shall cease all international teaching.

Here are a few images from my latest 20.5/20.5 series.

 

W A T C H   T H I S   S P A C E

Women of the Island

It is a great honour to be a part of

Women of the Island short video series.

A discovery:

I have just discovered this interview Yvonne Sonsino did with me recently in Artdington, UK.

Please visit:

The Quaquaversal Calligrapher

The Traveller

My goodness 2018 seems to have moved on so rapidly and I have rolled along with it. My recent trip to the UK and Sweden was so wonderful, I worked hard, met many many lovely people who looked after me.  I enjoyed my time learning, sharing, giving and receiving and travelling with Pam for most of the time. How grateful I am for this opportunity. The only sad this is that my partner could not travel with me to enjoy meeting all these moments too.  Shortly I'll post some of my favourite moments. Here is one on my very last day in the UK on a revisit to Windsor Castle where I studied at the Royal Archive on my Churchill Fellowship.

Watch this space ...